Just Another Day At Work
by NRC
Summary: It was just another boring work day for Hermione Granger. Right? Mindless fluff. Slightly OOC. FIC CHALLENGE.


**FIC CHALLENGE ENTRY**

**For:** potato4

**_Specifications_**

**Ship:** Dramione. Other ships allowed. No slash.

**Rating**: T and below. No smut, no lemons, no limes, no M content whatsoever. Language is okay, but don't go overboard.

**Length**: Can be any length.

**Other: **Must include **at least three** of the following (chosen in _italics_):

_- The phrase "Skipping in a manly way."_

_- Hot chocolate_

- An argument of some sort

_- Shocking news_

_- Postal services_

- the Internet

- An obsession with something completely ordinary

- A film

_- Running out of napkins_

- Shoes

**Deadline:** November 1, 2010

* * *

**Just Another Day At Work**

Hermione Granger hummed a little as she shifted the untidy sheaf of papers on her desk. Finding the _Daily Prophet_ under a book of stamps, she folded it out and began to read. Ignoring the front page, where the Prime Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt was giving some sort of speech, she headed straight to the finance section.

Her little peace and quiet was disrupted when a snide voice spoke from over her shoulder.

"Finance Section," the voice chided. "How typically Granger."

The brunette looked up from her paper to find Draco Malfoy standing behind her, smirking. She frowned.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she ground out.

The smirk on the platinum blonde's face widened, as did his eyes in mock innocence.

"Honestly, Granger. Does there always have to be an ulterior method for me to visit your office?"

"There usually is," she griped.

Malfoy snickered, before saying seriously, "Actually, yes. Have you done the Mark Weichester report?"

The girl rolled her fiery brown eyes. "You're late in asking, as it happens. I already gave it to Robards."

Malfoy shrugged his shoulders. "I already knew. I was just making sure."

Hermione raised a testy eyebrow. "Right."

"Oh, that reminds me," he said, heading for the door. "Potter sent a letter. He's being called back."

Hermione let out a little squeal, before beating Malfoy out the door, and running down the hallway. She knocked twice on the Head Of Department's door, then let herself in.

The redheaded girl behind the desk started as the brunette stormed in.

"God, Hermione," Ginny Weasley exclaimed, one hand resting on her heart. "What a way to-"

"Oh. My. God." The brunette's excitement was apparent, she might as well have jumped up and down on the spot. "Harry is coming home today."

"What?" the redhead shrieked, dropping her pen. "How come he didn't tell _me_?"

"I think Malfoy just got the notification today."

Ginny screamed, and Hermione grinned widely. Then she remembered something.

"Hang on, where's Malfoy?" she said. "He said he got a letter from Harry."

Still screaming, Ginny flung the door open. Hermione was right behind her, feeling Malfoy would need some help from the over-excited, rampaging redhead.

The sight that greeted them stunned Ginny into silence, and elicited a snort from the brunette beside her.

Draco Malfoy was tapping his toes and heels against the linoleum, coming towards them. In his hands was the eagerly-awaited white envelope, but it was forgotten for a minute as the girls watched the blonde dancing his way towards them.

"What the _hell_ are you doing, Malfoy?" Hermione demanded.

"A manly way of skipping?" Ginny retorted sarcastically.

The platinum blonde glanced up, flushed, and immediately stopped. He straightened his back and briskly walked towards them.

"I think my mind has been traumatized," Hermione commented dryly as Ginny reached for the letter.

Any chance for the blonde to snap back was eliminated as the redhead squealed joyfully.

"He's obviously hoped this letter would reach us first," she sang. "Look here: _I've got some rather delightful news, but it's a surprise_."

"How do you know it meant his return?" Hermione asked.

"Because then he says _I might see you sooner than expected_."

Hermione smiled. Harry being back was something she looked forward to. Her best friend was sent to the War, and him being sent back most probably meant the War was easing up.

Of course, there was the possibility that he was being sent back because he was injured. But Hermione was an optimist; she would never cloud over Ginny's happiness like that.

"Oh, I'm so happy he's coming back," Ginny trilled. "I haven't seen him for an entire year."

Hermione smiled again at the thought. What she'd give to see the look on Harry's face when he got home. Especially when he opened the door to the room opposite theirs. Ginny had restrained herself from telling Harry about it. She didn't want him to worry unnecessarily about it-even more so because of his job; distraction in any form could prove fatal.

It'd be the greatest welcome-back gift anyone could ever get, especially for someone like Harry.

Hermione's attention was called back to Earth as her eyes landed on Malfoy.

"Were you skipping because you're happy Harry's coming back?" she shot, eyes narrowed slightly.

"_What_?" the blonde exclaimed. "Talk about jumping to the worst conclusion."

"Then why _were_ you skipping?"

He eyed her shiftily. "Nothing."

Her glare was interrupted when the redhead stepped between them to get her attention.

"What should we do for that night?" Ginny asked the brunette.

Hermione shook her head. "Nothing. I think Harry'd just want to rest and stay at home for a while."

Ginny nodded thoughtfully, before turning to the blonde standing stoically behind her.

"Did the notification say when he'd be coming back?"

Malfoy shrugged. "'Soon' was all it said."

Ginny pouted. Hermione laughed. "So the surprise wouldn't be ruined," she concluded. "Smart, Harry."

"It is, if I do say so myself."

Hermione squealed, but Ginny outright screamed as both girls wheeled around.

There, at the end of the corridor, was the man himself. Harry freakin' Potter.

Ginny seemed rooted the spot, unable to believe Harry Potter was really standing a few feet from them. Hermione smiled a little at the flabbergasted expression on the redhead's face, before stepping forward and giving her best friend a big hug.

"Welcome back," she breathed, embracing him tightly.

She let go five seconds later, trying to stem the tears flowing from her eyes. Harry's own green ones were watering, too.

"Thank you, Mione," he replied. His eyes locked into hers for another second, then returned to the frozen redhead behind her.

Still smiling, Hermione turned to Malfoy and asked, "Do you want to get some coffee?"

The blonde nodded, understanding Hermione's hint. "Potter," he acknowledged.

The jet-black-haired man spared him a nod, before Hermione led Malfoy to the cafeteria.

She sighed happily. "It's good to have Harry back."

The blonde beside her didn't respond, but Hermione didn't expect him to. Malfoy might have turned civil since graduating, but his animosity towards Harry hadn't decreased by a large amount. He only shut his insults because he didn't want to get fired; his boss was Harry Potter's wife, after all.

Hermione ordered hot chocolate as the blonde ordered black coffee.

Sitting down at a table by the window, Hermione glanced out of the window to gaze at the raining landscape.

"Imagine his surprise," she chortled, "when he gets home and finds little James."

Her grin widened as she pictured it. Malfoy snorted, before mumbling something under his breath. Hermione, however, heard one word, and immediately thundered, "Draco Malfoy, I've had about enough of your school prejudices."

The blonde made a face at her, then cowered a little as the brunette's hand reached out to slap him-his third year had been memorable in more ways than one.

He was saved from Hermione's wrath by the waitress, who arrived with their drinks. She must have been new to the job, because she tried flirting with him. Feeling that the waitress was being overly friendly, Draco Malfoy used his left hand to accept his coffee, the glint from his wedding ring obvious to the waitress.

The waitress blushed bright pink, walking away with her hair swinging in her face.

Hermione was torn between amusement at the situation, or frowning-the ring on the blonde's finger had been an inch from her nose.

Malfoy gazed out the window, absentmindedly swiveling the ring while waiting for his coffee to cool down. Hermione's frown intensified. Hermione's husband hardly wore his wedding ring, and it irritated the hell out of her. And now it seemed Malfoy was shoving it in her face.

"Are you trying to say something?" she snapped irritably, gesturing to Malfoy's hands.

Immediately, the blonde stopped the swiveling and glanced at the girl sitting opposite him. He shook his head briefly, before proceeding to wrap his long fingers around the Styrofoam cup.

Hermione glanced at him once more, before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her iPhone. She tapped around until she reached her calendar, and began reading that day's itinerary. She frowned slightly.

"Hmm, I'll be right back." She took one more sip of her hot chocolate, before excusing herself from the table, and walking towards the ladies'.

"Shit," she muttered half a minute later.

Well, wasn't this going to make her day just _peachy_.

She pulled out her phone and speed-dialled Ginny. The redhead picked up on the fifth ring.

"Look, Gin, I have an emergency," Hermione said, not bothering with a greeting. "I'm out of freaking napkins."

"Sorry, Herm," Ginny said apologetically, sounding harried. "I'm already at home. Robards gave us the rest of the day off."

Hermione groaned. "Shit."

"Sorry!" Ginny exclaimed again. "Look, I have to go, Harry's heading up the stairs-"

Their call was interrupted by a loud shout from Ginny's end. She muttered another apology, before ending the call. Hermione moaned again. Sighing, she called the only other person she knew was at work today.

"Look, Malfoy, I need help. You can be an arse later, but I need napkins," she said as fast as she could.

On the other end, she could hear muffled laughter. Obviously, Malfoy chose to be an arse _now_.

"Draco Malfoy," she ground out, impatient.

"Fine, fine," he said, the grin still in his voice. "I'll get someone to go into the female toilets with it in a sec."

Hermione sighed again, before ending the call. Five minutes later, a hand appeared under her door.

"Thank God," she muttered. The yellow ballet flats outside her door didn't leave, instead remaining outside her cubicle.

Two minutes later, Hermione opened the door and washed her hands. The girl who had brought her napkins went back out the door, with Hermione in tow. The brunette flushed lightly as she saw Malfoy smirking at her.

"Don't even start, Malfoy," she threatened.

The blonde held up his hands in mock surrender, but the smirk stayed in place.

Hermione frowned at him again. "So this is why you were skipping earlier today? Work Day?"

Malfoy's grin widened. "Good thing we have a daughter, eh Granger?"

* * *

**AN**: I know, nothing but mindless fluff. But I hadn't written in a while, and this is the first story I've penned since falling into a solid case of writer's block. I don't really mind the contest; I wrote this mostly to excercise my brain again, and to write a story with someone else's ideas and specifications. Just putting it out there.


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